Heidfeld gets Mercedes third driver role

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Nick Heidfeld

Mercedes has confirmed Nick Heidfeld will be their third driver in 2010.

The news means Heidfeld will not be on the grid for the first time since the end of the 2005 season, when he was sidelined with injury.

He has contested 167 Grands Prix since 2000.

Heidfeld said:

I am very pleased to be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team. It’s the team which has attracted the most interest in the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over fifty years. Whilst I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year.

Heidfeld was supported by Mercedes earlier in his racing career and won the 1999 F3000 championship while backed by them.

He made his F1 debut with Prost the following year before moving on to Sauber. But he failed to gain a place with McLaren-Mercedes when Mika Hakkinen left the team at the end of 2001, the team choosing his Sauber team mate Kimi Raikkonen instead.

The signing of Heidfeld alongside Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg cements Mercedes’ all-German driver line-up – while rivals McLaren have an all-British squad of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and third driver Gary Paffett.

It also means Mercedes have signed three drivers who are statistically the most dependable of all time. Heidfeld holds the record for the most consecutive race classifications – 41 – followed by Rosberg (27) and Schumacher (24).

See the updated list of 2010 F1 drivers and teams

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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130 comments on “Heidfeld gets Mercedes third driver role”

  1. I think it is not a good news.
    It seems the end of Heifeld F1 driver career, and I’ll miss him. He’s one of those drivers (like Johnny Herbert was, for example) that rarely do mistakes and are very regular and constant. Not a good news he will not have a wheel next season.

    1. Well, you never know – look at de la Rosa!

      1. probably de la rosa is paying that spot

        1. Im 17 and I follow f1 since 98 nick is one of the few drivers that entered most of the seasons ive watched

          1. Yet in all of his seasons of consistency, he has never won an F1 race. I’m not bothered by him moving on.

          2. He didn’t win.. not like he was driving anything fantastic. I’d imagine if nick were driving for points with the merc team he’d get a couple wins.

    2. he had his chance, now let’s let the young drivers show what they got. he drove for some decent teams, and didn’t even get a victory.

      1. None of his team mate ever got a victory also, apart from Kubica in Canada. This has some meaning, I think.

        1. Nick Heidfeld almost always out shined his team mates. Kubica was an exception during 2008, but even then Heidfeld was second place at the Canadian grand prix that Kubica won.

          1. Mike "the bike" Schumacher
            4th February 2010, 16:32

            And he should have won that race too. Hopefully he’ll take schumi’s place when he retires for good.

      2. He didn’t have his chance! That’s the thing! He was better than Raikkonen and Kubica yet didn’t get a chance at McClaren and now he’s passed for a chance at Mercedes. It’s sad, really! He’s the most consistent driver ever and he’s a racer pur sang. His qualifying could be better and in sheer speed he’s not as fast as Raikkonen, Alonso, Kubica, Schumacher and Hamilton but he’s definetly a great tactician who dares to take risks and manages to drive extremely consistent.

        1. Heidfeld’s career hit a plateau when Kimi was chosen to get Mika’s spot in his stead.

          i still don’t understand why McMerc chose the Quiet Fin over the trusty German..

  2. Despite my dislike for Heidfeld, I would rather see him as an active driver.
    This year’s field is full of… n00b drivers.

    1. I agree, I would have liked to see USF1 pick him up…but I guess they want n00bs with money…

  3. Now I have some questions in my mind.
    1.Will he test in any day on the remaining 12 days left?
    2.Will he replace Schumacher if he is injured (neck)?

    1. 1.Will he test in any day on the remaining 12 days left?

      I think that’s very unlikely when you consider the lengths Schumacher’s gone to get any running available to him.

      If he does, it will be at Rosberg’s expense. But Heidfeld’s so experienced it’s hard to make the case he needs it. He’ll be in the simulator.

      2.Will he replace Schumacher if he is injured (neck)?

      That’s what Heidfeld will be hoping! Whether he actually goes as far as leaving banana skins and bars of soap on the floor of the Mercedes garage is another matter…

      1. This is the guy who moved over for Kubica when asked (granted, otherwise he’d be impeding Kubica’s race) and, upon securing 2nd place — thus knowing that the result would have been a 1-2 either way — while looking dejected, never said anything bad.

        I’m sure he’ll get his chance, but I’m also sure that he won’t compromise his integrity (*cough* Alonso *cough*) in so doing.

      2. Someone has already commented that Heidfeld hasn’t won any races yet, but IMO Rosberg’s performances are hardly vastly superior to Heidfeld.

        Be very interesting if Rosberg doesn’t come up to expectations as support for MS ( rather like the way Kovalainen didn’y do the job Mclaren needed him to do… )

        As we all keep saying…going to be an interesting season.

    2. Heidfeld will be actively employed in the simulator and will attend events in his reserve capacity, should anything happen to Nico Rosberg or Michael Schumacher.

    3. 2.Will he replace Schumacher if he is injured (neck)?

      Alternatively, you could ask whether Schumacher really ended his test early yesterday with a hydraulic problem, and get the conspiracy theories started…

      1. I haven’t read James Allen’s book about Schumacher, but I’ve heard that Michael was suffering with his back and his neck for a lot of 2006.

        If MotoGP riders can race with broken collar bones and fingers missing, I’m sure Schumacher would be keen to keep any problems quiet even if it meant resorting to the kind of extremes (local injections etc) the bikers sometimes do.

    4. Bearing that in mind, it’s either surprising that Davidson gave up the reserve driver role, or not surprising that he wasn’t preferred over another German driver depending on how cynical you are.

      My mind constantly goes back to last year when Norbert referred after McLaren’s return to form at the NewBurgerandOnionRing as “We made it very clear things had to improve for the home grand prix.” Martin Whitmarsh’s face when asked to follow up that comment was a picture of diplomacy – and a wry smile as it signalled things to come.

  4. “I am very pleased to be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team.”

    Yeah, right. Surely Nick know’s that being a test driver in post recession F1 means being a spectator. I hope he finds a drive later this season, or mabye in 2010. Who knows, mabye Schumi’s neck will give way before long- although I doubt that will happen…

  5. Ahhhh this is a bummer… I really wanted him to be actively involved in the coming seson.

    1. He was potentially down to a choice between this or a race seat at Campos or US F1. Would they have been better choices?

      1. I think that would’ve been a better choice. Chances are those teams don’t make it to the grid or prove to be to slow, but racing is always better than watching from the sidelines. Especially since he is a sort of invisible driver (consistent and fast but never really shines). I don’t think we will see him back in 2010.

        1. That said, if Schumacher isn’t going to be with Merc for too long (a couple of seasons max?), Heidfeld would be an ideal teammate for the new first driver which would be Rosberg. Just a thought.

          1. Yeah right, especially when another German driver, younger, probably more talented will be available. Does Vettel ring the bell? By the time the spot at Merc will be available, even Hulkenberg can surpass Heidfeld. So I’m betting all my money that he WON’T become a permanent MGP race driver.

            His only hope for MGP drive is Schumi’s/Nico’s injury. I really can’t see it happening other way.

            I think it is really the end of Heidfeld’s career if he insists on staying in MGP. Nick, please, get out of there in 2011. You deserve better.

      2. Point taken.

      3. This isn’t surprising but I think it is a shame.

        I couldn’t see Nick at a new team; he’s never been very warm about them and previously said he wasn’t even looking at them. It would mean he would have to swallow his pride if he did sign for them and also be a sort of self demotion, he clearly feels he can do better than a new team.

        Sauber was supposed to be the best bet but it felt like he wasn’t top of the list. It was more that assumptions were made that because he raced for BMW Sauber last year he would again this year but there was never much movement on that front.

        He took a gamble and wanted the big drive with Merc. I wonder if he ever really believed in Schumi’s return. If he didn’t (which wouldn’t be surprising) then the gamble didn’t pay off but if he did maybe it was his plan all along and Renault was never a serious option.

        I can’t really blame him for going for a third driver role with Merc. Schumi is a driving master but he’s 41, retired once and the FIA may have given him the all clear with his neck but doubts will still linger. A three year contract is quite a long one and it looks like the grid will be extremely competitive so Michael could get frustrated. It’s a long shot but it is a shot. Nick clearly wants a go at a big team after so long in F1 and settling for a smaller team would confirm his career is in decline, Renault are unsteady and have a bad few years so maybe this was worth the risk.

        The other point of interest is Renault. Nick and the team were linked for a while so who turned their backs on a potential deal first? Petrov’s money would certainly be a factor and he would be a breath of fresh airn for the team. But Renault have gone through a tough time so maybe experience and someone to really push Kubica would have been very appealing also.

        This will influence how we rate Kubica too. I think Petrov will be good but with limited testing and him being a rookie he has a job on his hand coming close to Kubica. It could end up like the Williams 09 situation-we knew Rosberg was good because Nakajima really struggled but because Nico was never pushed we never knew if he got everything out the car he could so he always looked good but it was hard to tell how good he really was.

        I liked Nick I thought he was hugely underrated although he does seem to have a lot of fans on this site. He pushed Kubica hard and I know he won the team mate battle overall but Kubica was a rookie when he was first against Heidfeld. What really impressed me was after 08 Kubica was the one who won the most respect out of all the grid (despite a mistake at Bahrain and Nick letting him through at Canada) because he kept fighting on despite BMW’s development freeze. Maybe a bit of it was heightened sympathy for Kubica’s plight but he was the rated star coming into 09 and had experience but Heidfeld beat him. He didn’t do it in spectacular style but he got his head down, got the first podium and did the job.

        Nick may be the quiet one of the paddock but he showed he had talent. I think he should have a race seat but it’s his own fault and at least he took a gamble.
        Anyway he’s some good footage of Nick in action. He had some good times with Alonso and Cooulthard.

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ho4y6NDE8g
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc_ChrDgF3M
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXXAPKPFP1w
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYTT9I73QXw
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMyKUrs1XQ

        1. Agree with pretty much all of that Steph, he took a shot that didn’t pay off (which was not his fault at the end of the day, and other teams never realky looked that keen on him, preferring other or pay drivers). Any of the seats left would have been beneath him, and this way he has an outside shot at a good drive, should something happen.

          I think to treat this as a kind of end of the road for Heidfeld would be to forget that things were inevitably heading that way when the McLaren and Mercedes seats were filled.

        2. Wow Steph that was comprehensive, there’s more than 600 words there!

          I agree with what you say though- who can blame him for trying for the Mercedes seat? He has spent most of his career in mediocre cars, and this was his best chance to get to get a ride for a top team.

          It failed, of course, but kudos for trying. I hope to see him back in a race seat soon.

          1. Yeah sorry it was so long didn’t realise until after I clicked ‘submit comment’ :P

        3. That’s exactly right. He took a gamble and he should. He shouldn’t start from scratch to build a new team up from the ground. He had that period, he deserves to be in a racing seat with a good team. He might take over from Button at McClaren, he’s surely a better driver than Jenson is. Renault had the best driver on the grid and couldn’t do anything for 2 entire seasons. I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon. Sauber looks strong but he couldn’t foresee that either. The only real option left was Merc. Perhaps next year! He can take over for Barrichello, Schumacher or Fisichella somewhere, those guys are old!

      4. what about lemans, or going to america, those would have been more brave choices. There is live outside f1. Right now to be a test driver is not a good choice.

      5. Who knows most likely not but it is a shame not to see him on the grid. Also with that I think Renault shafted Romain Grosjean. But that is my opinion.

  6. Prisoner Monkeys
    4th February 2010, 11:00

    Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed by this. Heidfeld might be a nice guy, but I’ve never really rated him as a driver. Maybe that was a product of poor career choices, maybe it was a result of not quite being good enough to make it big, or maybe some third option. But he’s always been thoroughly underwhelming for me. He’s out-performed team mates, but those same team mates have then been drafted into Ferraris and McLaren while Heidfeld has wallowed in obscurity. I’m not sorry to see him go after spending so long trundling around as Formula 1’s “almost” man, but I’ve long felt that he represents what has been in the sport, and to continue giving him drives deprives someone who represents what will be the chance to add something to the grid.

    1. Oh not again. We have heard your rant about Heidfeld not being rated a driver once before.

      Im just wondering now who will get the seats at Campos and USF1, im having doubts of them not making the grid next year, which is a shame.

      And for Heidfeld I see that Abu Dhabi 2009 was his last F1 race.

  7. Well, maybe there is some kind of deal for next year in it ?
    I mean, MS won’t last forever, and Heidfeld would be in the place, knowing the car…

    1. I would be very surprised if they replace schumacher with anyone other than vettel.

      1. Vettel or H�lkenberg. Both extremely talented drivers. Heidfeld should be looking for a spot on the grid for next year, you never know what’s going to happen. Perhaps Massa gets nother crash or indeed Schumacher. Be that as it may, Mercedes have got themselves an extremely strong team as far as drivers and engine is concerned. The only thing that’s going to play a huge part now is the development/design of the car but if Schumacher can tell the engineers where the problems are, it’s going to be a great car.

    2. Prisoner Monkeys
      4th February 2010, 11:38

      Schumacher has a three-year deal. And you can bet that Mercedes will want Sebastian Vettel in the very immediate future.

      1. CounterStrike
        4th February 2010, 11:51

        Schumi most certainly wouldn’t last 3 seasons.

      2. Yep I see Vettel. It would be a dream for the team if Mercedes could get him. Oddly I could picture Lewis there but simply because I think he lost a little bit of faith in the team after Aus although he will probably stay at Mclaren for a long while yet.

  8. Personally, I rate him as a good driver and nothing more. As such I think he’s had a good crack at the whip compared to a lot of others.

    That isn’t to say his experience would not be useful to some of the new teams, and so I’m surprised he’s not in for a Stefan/Campos drive to be honest. But I’m not going to feel all sad for him… he had enough chances.

    I would now advise him to hide some of Schumacher’s pillows or something similar!

  9. Now we have a team full of drivers who will “continue their respective runs of most consecutive finishes adding another to the most boring statistic in F1…”

  10. A shame, as I think the refuelling ban might suit Nick – he has a good record of well-timed tyre stops, in the wet at least.

    What else is in it for Heidfeld? Can’t see him racing an F1 Merc, or driving on occasional Fridays like Paul di Resta. Can’t see any value in that, or Schumacher ever allowing it.

    I guess he’ll be considered for any F1 race seat that comes up, but I hope he’s aware that it seems to take 3 or 4 years of test driving to get back into a race drive (judging by de la Rosa and Wurz)…

    Any news of a deal to drive DTM for Merc?

    1. “Can�t see any value in that, or Schumacher ever allowing it.”

      I guess during the season, 41 year old and well accustomed to the car Schumacher wouldn’t mind somebody else prepping the car for him so that he can save up physically.

  11. For me that has to be end of his racing career. He certainly will never get a drive at Mercedes.

  12. Here’s an idea. Now, I know that most teams don’t like the idea of their drivers competing in other series, but how about Nick or some of the other guys enter themselves into GP2 FR3.5 or similar to keep themselves race-sharp?

    1. I don’t know about FR3.5 but GP2 has some restrictions on letting over-experienced drivers compete. Certainly ex-champions can’t (I wonder if they’d extend that to ex-F3000 champions like Heidfeld).

      That said, Glock, Pantano, Pizzonia and Bruni are among the ex-F1 drivers to have stepped down to GP2. It served Glock well, the others not so much.

      1. I also meant to say FR will probably come with too many Renault coloured strings attached making it hard for someone like Nick to drive for them.

        1. Having an experienced and successful F1 driver step back into one of the lower formulas (as F1 drivers routinely did in the 1960s and early 1970s) would certainly provide an interesting spectacle.

          But I suspect the main barriers would be money and reputation. Heidfeld would be looking to have his expenses paid at the very least and there aren’t many GP2 or FR3.5 teams offering free drives.

          Nick would also have nothing to gain and everything to lose – if he failed to do well against the younger drivers he would damage his prospects of a full time return to F1.

          1. Indeed, it proved the end of Jim Clark.

      2. jose arellano
        4th February 2010, 20:26

        why not stay as merc test, and also be usf1 or campos race driver….

        1. I like the idea of an Ex F1 drivers championship though.

          Maybe like an over 50’s class just to see them fight it out.

          Put them in GP2 cars, or pay one of the teams loads of money to mass produce there last years chassis. Then have em on as a support race for the championship Grand Prix.

          1. It’s been tried (Grand Prix Masters) and it didn’t work.

          2. yeah but it was bascially mansell running it.

            It was never going to work.

  13. What a waste of talent?? Very cruel thing that he is just a test driver!!

  14. I am disappointed that Heidfeld has not managed to secure a race seat for this year.

    I wouldn�t be surprised if this was the end of his F1 race career, but then I probably wouldn�t have said de la Rosa would get a race seat again.

    I doubt he will get promoted to a race seat with Mercedes unless it was a replacement due to injury, as when Schumacher retires they will try to get Vettel or whoever else is the next big thing at the time.

    Even though there isn�t much testing now as third drivers still have to attend every Grand Prix in case they are needed and have other team commitments such as simulator and PR work, are there many other series they can compete in if they were allowed or does scheduling conflicts pretty much rule it out.

    1. I think if I was Sauber I would have much prefered to have had Heidfeld than de la Rosa.

      On the otherhand Rosa can’t have had a small role in helping McLaren develop several spectacularly good cars.

      If the C29 is any good, an it appears already that Kobayashi might just be the quick one, Heidfeld a pretty genuine racer, has often out performed his cars, with the begining of 08 being the notable exception and his teamates, would be the much more attractive option. Probably wouldn’t cost that much more than Rosa either.

  15. Damn, two of my favourite drivers have gone this year!
    A massive shame, considering he was one of the favourites for both McLaren and Mercedes… You can’t blame him for gambling on the Merc seat, because that chance may possibly not have happened again for him.

    I personally think that Brawn should have signed Heidfeld instead of Rosberg but I guess they thought Nico could grow more as a driver. I don’t think Heidfeld is trying to replace Schumacher when he is done, I think he will be trying to replace Nico. Just like how Liuzzi replaced Fisichella (It was going to happen even if he stayed at Force India which is why he went to Ferrari).

  16. This is sadder than Kimi Raikkonnen leaving the sport.

    Money talks :-|

  17. CounterStrike
    4th February 2010, 11:50

    Shame. What a wasted talent. Surely deserved a spot on the grid. I think he’s gambling on the fact that Schumi’s neck will give up some point into the season.

  18. Cucumber Mike
    4th February 2010, 11:53

    I think this is a fairly sensible move for Quick Nick, given the circumstances. He obviously thought the same as Kubica about Sauber’s chances of being on the grid in 2010, and decided to jump ship. Understandable. Having done so, his choices were, realistically, McLaren, Brawn/Mercedes, Renault or one of the new teams. Having had previous relationships with both McLaren and Mercedes, he may have thought himself to have a good chance of landing a role with one of those teams. Unfortunately for him, Button’s move to McLaren dismissed that hope, and then all the humming and hah-ing over Schumi to Mercedes meant that, by the time he was confirmed, Nick was left with nowhere else to go. The pick of the new teams – Virgin and Lotus – had declared their drivers already, leaving an uncertain future at Renault, where he would once again have been playing second fiddle to Kubica with a budget lessened by Renault’s diminished support, or an even more uncertain drive with USF1 or Campos, either of whom could still end up on the sidelines with no money or, worse, an uncompetitive car.

    Having borne all that in mind, Heidfeld would have taken a look at the remaining options – 3rd driver with either of McLaren or Mercedes – and decided that McLaren have put their faith for the future in Jenson and Lewis. Mercedes have a strong future with Rosberg, but less certainty with Michael. Two scenarios will have appealed to him: The first being that Michael beats all comers this season and retires with nothing left to prove, the second that Schumi’s ageing neck gives in, leaving Nick to step into the breach.

    In my opinion, 3rd driver with a top team is likely to be a stronger role for someone looking to consolidate a career that seems to be floundering than moving to a new team and going down clinging to the wreckage of a budget collapse. Look at the case of de la Rosa – his career looked to be over after so many years at McLaren with no hope of a race, yet now he is back, in his 40’s and potentially with the best team of his career so far. Should Nick not get a drive this year, he will be looking to keep his head down, put in as much solid work for Mercedes as possible, develop his reputation as a tester and look to offer this experience next time round.

    That’s my thought, anyway. It will be sad to see someone with Nick’s obvious talent away from the racing, but I feel he has the drive to come back stronger and I have a sneaking suspicion we could see him in a potential race-winning car again before too long.

  19. Isn’t Heidfeld the second-most experienced F1 driver ever not to win a race? Behind Andrea de Cesaris, of course.

    1. I believe he is – he doesn’t even have the record of most podiums without a win, he has to be content to share it with Stefan Johansson. He really is (was?) F1’s almost man…

    2. Yes, and he’s got the most second-place finishes without a race win, eight, set at Sepang last year:

      Malaysian Grand Prix facts and stats

  20. A good little statistic in the final paragraph there! I was going to ask if Nico’s run of consecutive finishes is still ongoing, but I see it ended in Brazil 2009.

    The other statistic I remember seeing on F1Fanatic last year, was that Nick Heidfeld was (and I’m certain still is now, if we count test drivers) the current F1 driver who has gone the longest since winning a competitive motor race in any meaningful category – no victories in any formula since the middle of 1999!

  21. I don’t want to go on a pro-Heidfeld rant but sufice to say it’s a travesty that a driver who has beaten nearly every team mate he’s been put up against including Kubica and Webber will not have a race drive next year. Epsecially since the likes of Sutil and Trulli are on the grid, and unproven noobs like Algersuari and Lopez get race drives. If there’s any justice Schumi’s neck injury will flare up again and Hedifeld will finally get a drive in a race winning car.

    1. Cucumber Mike
      4th February 2010, 12:11

      Hmm. Disappointment? Yes, absolutely. Travesty? Not so sure. If I was him, I’d be happy not to take Kubica’s place – Renault are wobbling slightly at the moment, still re-grouping after the departure of Alonso, Flavio, Pat Symonds and ING. As for Webber, I’d leave the task of trying to compare to the brightest young star in F1 to him.

      I take your point about Nick being a better driver than Sutil or Trulli, but they’ve got the contract and he hasn’t. Being involved in the development of, potentially, a championship-winning car is the next-best thing to actually driving it, and probably better than trundling round at the back gaining a reputation only for propping up the timing chart.

  22. Cool as bring on the new crop!

    Nick has talent but go help develop the cars consistency Mr consistent don’t settle for a back marker that’s for the new talent

    Personally i think he would get chewed up by the younger hungrier sharks if he took a back marker seat

  23. CounterStrike
    4th February 2010, 12:10

    It now truly is Britain vs Germany

    Interestingly McLaren use a German engine & Mercedes use a British Chassis!

    1. Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines hail from Brixworth.

  24. axis & allies all over again

    1. CounterStrike
      4th February 2010, 12:13

      Don’t talk WWII here!!

      1. oblig monty python: “They started it”

        1. OMG. Not python. It was Fawlty Towers *hangs head in shame*

      2. Don’t mention zee vaaar! :-)

  25. I strongly believe since the moment Shumacher have signed with Mercedes that this was just a way of getting some more Euros in the pocket and some advertising to the sport!
    I was and still like Shumacher as a driver, but being back to the sport after 3 years out with so many technical changes is not the same right!
    Shumacher will give his place to Heidfeld in a short time, first, the team already knows that their car will n0t be so competitive, secondly because Shumacher wants a racing car, he thought he had one, but got wrong, so it�s better to spend time in the padock giving interviews than actualy driving.
    Shumacher assumed that the car will have an advantage from last year results, but, this time the big teams have worked hard to prevent that to happen again!
    Don�t get me wrong, i like Shumacher as a driver, but this year mainly because he�ll be beaten once again by Alonso and his previous team mate Massa.
    Does any of you guys agree with me?

    1. CounterStrike
      4th February 2010, 12:27

      Schumi will be extremely competitive if his alleged neck holds up. As to Alonso trashing Schumi, its all speculation. We don’t even know for sure if that Ferrari can put in consistent lap times. JA reports that Ferrari were on a different programme to that of Mercedes.

      On pure racing & talent I’d safely put my money on Alonso to come out on top for various reasons.

      And I don’t think Schumi will stay on till 2012. He would be 44. Maybe older men over here could explain as to how rapidly the bodily functions progressively deteriorates after the age of 40.

      2011 could easily see Nick taking over from Schumi.

      Schumi-Merc was all a marketing ploy.

      And you can’t even rule out a Schumi-Rosberg fall out, big daddy Keke is watching over & waiting for an opportunity to take a dig at his old enemy.

      We might even see a Schumi-Nick pairing in 2011 if things don’t go on well between those guys.

    1. CounterStrike
      4th February 2010, 12:17

      hehe :)

  26. Meh, don’t think I’m going to miss him at all trundeling round in 14th place just to record another classified finish. His most recent drives he has got on the basis of being german as much as his driving skills (Williams, BMW and merc)
    While some of the new comers maynot be as fast, heidfeld has never been blisteringly quick, and this way we at least get to see someone else given shot.

    How much does Dr. Mario wish that he could change how he allocated resources in 08? When lots if work was focused on the 09 car some was still focused on the 08 trying to help heidfeld qualify better – and he still coldnt drag the car to Q3. In the same car kubica ran as an unlikely championship contender.

  27. Just marketing guys!
    Mercedes will sell more cars in Germany with an all german team, call it Patriotic!
    Heidfeld has a lack of fighting/racing spirit, compared with Kubica, he�s a no go, that�s the reason, why he didn�t got an F1 seat as a race driver and everybody knows that a test driver, doesn�t drive the car, lol.

    1. You raise a very interesting point here. Of course Mercedes want to have a German driver for marketing purposes at home.

      But will having three German drivers instead of one help them shift three times as many cars? I don’t think so.

      It would make sense for car manufacturers to target drivers from key foreign markets where they want to improve sales – I remember hearing this was Toyota’s thinking behind signing Cristiano da Matta.

      For any team, having all their drivers of the same e nationality potentially limits their marketing reach. I don’t think McLaren would have two British drivers if they weren’t both world champions.

      1. CounterStrike
        4th February 2010, 12:58

        Its a three-pointed star, the merc symbol. Maybe each driver symbolizes each of the line in the symbol.

      2. I think McLaren got a real coup with Jenson and Lewis. Their sponsors must be clamouring for access to both to do advertising. Good looks sell. Expect to see a Voda advert with both before or just after March.

        From Mercedes perspective, they’ve got German and British drivers, the general public are not going to understand the difference, it’s McLaren Mercedes still.

      3. keith then who do you think would be interested in kobayashi? he seems to me a dream for a european car manufacturer that wants to increase it’s sales in japan. Is sauber the only smart guy out there?

        1. ” wants to increase it�s sales in japan”.
          Not likely: Japanese buyers are over protective (in large part dues to high import taxes)

  28. No surprise there then, his manager let it slip over a week ago. Sad though, when one considers how many unproven or washed up drivers remain on the grid. Will De La Rosa do a better job? Will he hell. And if the Sauber is fast, would have been a good chance for him. But he may be thinking, you never get to be champion in a midfield team, so roll the dice, go to a top team and hope to get called off the bench. Certainly my fantasy team will miss him, so consistent, he was always the best buy…

  29. I guess this gives him more time to tour with his Abba tribute band.

    1. CounterStrike
      4th February 2010, 13:06

      Honey Honey :P

  30. Maybe you�re right Keith. I don�t have any statistics but i think Germany sells more Mercedes cars than many other European countries all togheter!

  31. “It also means Mercedes have signed three drivers who are statistically the most dependable of all time. Heidfeld holds the record for the most consecutive race classifications � 41 � followed by Rosberg (27) and Schumacher (24).”

    Now th�t’s Deutsche Gr�ndlichkeit…?

  32. Interesting that Nick is deemed to be “Out of F1” but Di Resta is seen as “in F1” despite them having the same roles within their teams.

    I think part of the reason he lost out is because of the number of Germans in F1 at the moment.

  33. IMO it would have made a lot of sense to get Nick instead of Jenson at McL

    1. CounterStrike
      4th February 2010, 14:54

      How?

  34. I have to disagree with that comment, as i think Button is a midfield driver not a champion as some may think he is.
    Yes, we won last year and i congratulate him, but that was due to politics and facts that we all know, if he haven�t won the first races will he ever won the championship?
    Don�t think so!
    Button he�s already given excuses, my seat was not on the right place. Do you think McLaren team are so disregarded and has lack of experinece in F1 to think that the seats were not fitted weeks ago for each driver!
    Hamilton will just trash him in McLaren!
    Button is a nice guy, polite, but number 1 will go 100% to another driver next season.

    1. CounterStrike
      4th February 2010, 15:24

      Seat fitting at mclaren has been an issue for quite a number of drivers in the past.Remember Nigel Mansell? Or more recently Alex Wurz, who was supposed to deputize for the injured JPM at the 2005 Bahrain GP.

      I have to disagree with you on Button not being a worthy champ. We’ve had enough discussion on that issue on this site & I am honestly fed up of that argument.

  35. CounterStrike
    4th February 2010, 15:14

    I think that the British reign over formula one is over. The Germans are here to dominate formula one for a very very long time.

    1. Let’s not forget where this ‘German’ team is based.

    2. With their one team thats based in Brackley, unlikley really.

      Britain has been dominaiting motorsport for aeons, an germany has been dominaiting along with Japan manufacture.

      If Germany buying a team ment British domination was over it would have happened in the Turbo era.

      Toyota’s Germany based factory was a prime example of how difficult it is to challenge the Brit Motor sport factories.

  36. Speedy Gonzalezzz – I don’t think Button is a champion. I kind of know he is because, well, he’s the current world champion. Saying he wouldn’t have won the championship without winning the first few races is ridiculous. You could say that about any season, “Schumacher would never have been champion if he hadn’t won all those races” – see.

    As for seats Button is not the only driver with that problem in testing.

    Anyway on topic, couldn’t be happier that Heidfeld has taken a test seat and not a race one. He is just incredibly boring and detracts from the entertainment of the sport rather than contributing to it. Basically like a Kimi Raikonnen without the race wins and without the track side banter (e.g. eating an ice cream at Malaysia). Both in interviews make me think about channel switching until they’re done.

  37. I also don�t think that the germans will dominate F1, I will put my money on the Latin guys (Alonso & Massa).
    I agree with a champion being made of opportunity and politics sometimes, but last year is a year i prefer to forget.
    I like racing and good drivers independently from any nationality!
    Heidfeld is a boring driver which i think doesn�t have a fighting spirit inside him!
    Time will show us.

    1. CounterStrike
      4th February 2010, 15:38

      Speedy Gonzalezzzz:- Why should you forget last year? It was one of the most historic & significant year for Formula One.

      Last year showed us the Formula One is not all about McLaren & Ferrari. That was great imo.

    2. I rememeber some good overtaking my him.
      He’s not a top driver, but in my opinions he deserved to stay.

  38. Heidfeld is a driver that has not really made a mark in F1. The only reason he has been consistent is that he has been very lucky to remain with Sauber for so long, when his results show that his driving isn’t as good as reported.

    He needs to be quicker, but that’s just not Nick Heidfeld though, is it?

    1. In all the years Heidfeld has been around he has tended to match his teamates.

      The won year he didn’t was the one year he was in a technically race winning car.

  39. Well, i still prefer to forget as politics from last year have affected this sport very much!
    It�s good to have small teams challenging the big ones, that�s racing, but a decison made outside the track is never one that will please me!
    I am eager to see this season as we have 4 new teams, more drivers and will happen more mistakes as well.
    Stability is necessary for the sport.
    Heidfeld will be waiting for Shumacher�s seat and i guess in 1 year time will have it if any of the new drivers wil not impress us all.

  40. …Excuse my endurance racing rantings..but with works BMW M3s now in both ALMS and the regular LMS, maybe he could find a chance with the team that shepherded him for so long?

    Surely Heidfeld’s F1 talent could be magnified in another racing category?

  41. Too bad Nick isn’t going to be the USF1 driver. This is his best option though. It could be doubtful Schuey will se out his 3 year contract, in which case, Nick may inherit the drive.

  42. Maybe Merc will let him race Superleague Formula to keep his eye in. Would be nice to see him there.

  43. I think Nick has a lot of talent but I think he never progressed because he didn’t have the ambition. He may have outpaced his teammates but it seems like he never really wanted it and drove all out for it like Lewis or Alonso or Schumi and appeared to be content where he was. Take Kimi, for example. He never seemed to really care but I think his success was a result of his incredible talent on a level that Nick could not reach. In my opinion, if he really stepped up and drove the way the top tier guys do I think he could have been great.

  44. Slightly off topic, I know…
    but, since the previous two championships have been won by the two team leaders of the final team on the entry list…
    De la Rosa for the title?

    1. Nice stats. I wouldn’t say Button was team leader; he scored less than Rubens in 08, Rubens was allowed to fight and pushed Button hard from Silverstone onwards.

      1. interesting, that would make two fairytale seasons in a row would it not? :P

        and i think simon meant driver 1 and 2 as opposed to who led who.

        1. Oh yeah forgot about the numbers. Sorry about that :P

    2. Maybe, or maybe number 22 will take it again?
      who is number 22 again?

  45. Interesting. I wonder if there has been any further speculation of Heidfeld keeping up his racing skills in DTM this year…

  46. Nick Somebody
    4th February 2010, 18:15

    He is a millionaire and whatever he does from now on in his life I’m assuming that as long as he has got a half decent accountant he will stay a millionaire. That means he could have afforded to lower his salary considerably and really pushed to go to Renault or stay at Sauber. It’s surely better to be a driver than to be stuck at home without a career wondering what to do with yourself, or to be a tester in 2010 which is basically being stuck in a team wondering what to do with yourself.

    He’s too shy, and for that reason no one notices he exists. He matched Kubica through their time at BMW and he pretty much matched Raikkonen in Sauber through the 2nd half of their year together I seem to remember.

    Oh well.

  47. It’s sad to see this confirmed but really it’s the best option open to him. I do think there will be a good chance of M.S. not lasting the whole 19 races so for Heidfeld it’s best to be ready in the wings in such an eventuality. I take the point that Nick has had his time and not shined but it’s still a shame when he is better than half the field.

  48. Just checked out the who’s who page and I don’t think you’ve added Ricciardo and Hartley as RBR reserves :)

  49. Haters gonna hate but Kubica > Heidfeld.

    And just like almost all of you I think the same, that he is better than half of the drivers on the grid and should race instead of Rosberg in some decent team.

  50. theRoswellite
    4th February 2010, 22:28

    Nick Heidfeld…”..didn’t have the ambition…never really wanted it…if he stepped up and drove the way the top tier guys do..” BD

    Are we all watching the same Grand Prix races?

    These guys are all going as quickly as they can, as often as they can. If they felt they could go faster, without falling off the road, do you think they would simply choose not to?

    Heidfeld has managed to stay in F1 for a considerable time based on both talent and his professional “work ethic”. To criticize him for not being more talented is to miss understand the nature of “talent” at this level.

    For all the reasons mentioned by most contributors, this is a good move by Nick. He stands at least an even chance of picking up a race seat if MS chooses, or is chosen to, depart stage right.

    Nick is still in a first class team, and, at least for me, he seems to have once again made the best career choice open to him.

  51. It’s just a damn shame, that’s all I can say. With as much support as Nick’s getting here in the comments alone and elsewhere, you’d think somebody in the teams would read it and find a way for him to have a seat racing for a top team.

  52. theRoswellite
    5th February 2010, 6:20

    (misunderstand) I need to calm down a bit before putting pen to paper, not to mention acquiring an editor!

  53. fanmercedesgp
    5th February 2010, 9:07

    It is really an unfortunate situation for Quick Nick. He is one of those drivers who should be an automatic choice for any active driver seat. But as all the top teams like Mclaren & ferrari got the cream of the drivers and mercedes getting michael schumacher back, the only probable choice for Nick Heidfeld was Renault Seat. But the kind of issues renault has faced in the last few years must have turned him negative. I agree with steph90 about the approximate tenure of Schumi in Formula1 which can provide a real opportunity for Nick to probably fight for championship with mercedes in coming years. Don�t worry Nick I Know the kind of caliber you have as formula 1 driver we will definitely going to see you on grid very soon. All the best Quick Nick. You will come back with bang.

  54. I agree with those that have spoken out against this move for Heidfeld. He’s easily good enough to be racing this year.

    Okay, he’s in a great position in that he can learn from someone of great talent and experience as Michael Schumacher, but that is the only upside to this deal for him.

    When you look at some of the drivers that will be competing this coming season, it does make you wonder why those teams didn’t look at Heidfeld first (or if they did, why didn’t Heidfeld jump at the opportunity).

    He may not be the most exciting out there but he’s more talented than some of the drivers in this years’ line-up (based entirely on my opinion – not fact).

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